Two communities, Aguleri, Umueri and Umuoba Anam in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State have been embroiled by a renewed communal crisis resulting in the alleged killing of five persons and many others wounded.
It was gathered that many houses were destroyed while vehicles were also burnt.
According to eyewitnesses who spoke to our correspondent on phone, “I was in my house this morning being Saturday,16th 2020 when I had some group of men in a banter and just few moments I began to hear shouts, followed by gun shots. That was when we came out and people started running helter skelter, I quickly joined”.
Another indigene of the area, who also spoke anonymously, said that the two neighboring communities were having peace meetings when the peace talk suddenly went sour and banter broke out causing causalities and loss of property worth millions of naira”.
The police denied any loss of life.
The command spokesman, CSP Haruna Mohammed in a press release on Saturday said that his men arrived on time before the escalation of crisis.
The statement said, ” On 16/1/2021 at about 7:15am there was a report of crisis between Umueri and Aguleri Communities both in Anambra East LGA of Anambra State over a disputed area of land which both communities were laying claim to”.
“Meanwhile, no loss of lives and injuries have been reported. However, one building, four vehicles and two motorcycles were set ablaze by the warring factions”
According to him, Police teams comprising PMF/RRS and other conventional units in collaboration with other Security agencies were able to bring the situation under control, while joint patrol is still ongoing to restore normalcy in the affected areas.
In a statement made available to pressmen, the governor said the curfew will last from 7pm to 7am daily, beginning on Saturday, 16th January, 2021.
The statement said that the curfew in the first instance will last for three days and is aimed at bringing normalcy among the warring communities, adding that violators of the curfew would be prosecuted.